“Ah haha…” Booba shifted uncomfortably as he stood in front of Broken and Fokil.
“So… uh… yeah… I did go a bit overboard. But I did say sorry and even gave a gold coin as compensation.” Booba said with a confused expression.
Fokil threw a coin towards Booba. “I don’t want your money. Just go away from here.”
Booba quickly picked up the coin from the ground and gave Broken a sheepish smile. “Good luck, Broken.”
He then turned to Fokil. “Sir, he’s my friend. However, what I did a few days ago has nothing to do with him, so please…” he gave a playful wink. “Treat him fairly.” He grinned and walked away.
Once Booba was out of sight, hurrying and turning down the nearest street, Broken walked closer to the smithy.
“I’ve finished the quest you gave me,” he said. “The Moonstones.”
Fokil still looked at him with a suspicious gaze. He had given a challenging quest, but he saw some hope in the player before him. If Broken had succeeded in mining high-quality iron ores as he claimed, maybe he could indeed succeed with the Moonstones. Now, he was here, claiming his success.
One thing Fokil knew for sure was that someone couldn’t fake Moonstones or obtain them through deceitful means. These minerals were too rare and could only be acquired by those who had gained the approval of the Goddess of The Moon.
“Do you have the Moonstones with you? Five of them?” he asked, his voice calmer than usual.
“Yes, sir,” Broken replied.
“Come, follow me inside,” Fokil said, leading the way into the smithy.
Broken felt a surge of excitement because the quest was nearing its end. He should secure the Blacksmith Class today, and he couldn’t wait to see the grade of the Class that he might receive from Fokil.
Fokil then pointed to a table, “Show me the Moonstones,” he said.
Broken quickly pulled out a cloth bag and placed it on the table, then carefully took out the sparkling stones from it. It was clear they were Moonstones, which he had mined after struggling for almost a month.
“This took a very long time and great patience to gather this many, sir. Sorry it took me a month to return,” he said, knowing that Fokil also knew Gia’s husband. “But Mrs. Gia gave me another Moonstone. She said it was from her late husband.”
“You met Gia?” Fokil asked.
“Yes, I did. She provided me with valuable information about the location of the Moonstone. In fact, she even gave me a blueprint for a rare Unique-grade Necklace as a reward,” Broken replied.
Fokil nodded, his expression unreadable as he processed the information.
Fokil then walked slowly, looking and inspecting the Moonstones. He was silent for a moment, appearing lost for words at the sight. He then looked back at Broken, still in disbelief at what he was seeing. These were indeed Moonstones, and somehow, it had only taken him a month to gather so many.
Fokil then sat in a chair, still silent, appearing to be deep in thought. He sighed, rewrapped the Moonstones, and pushed them back towards Broken.
“Sorry if I was a bit harsh earlier, brat,” he said.
Broken smiled at hearing this, growing more eager to wait for the notification from the system.
“I think you deserve a fitting reward for your achievement, even more than that,” he said.
[You have achieved remarkable success! Your efforts in the quest “Become an Apprentice of Fokil the Blacksmith” have been rewarded with an upgrade to an A-rating.]
Broken widened his eyes in surprise when a notification appeared in front of him. “Yes, finally!” he exclaimed.
“Your mining skills are impressive,” Fokil said. “But mining has nothing to do with blacksmithing. Are you sure you still want to pursue this path?”
“I am determined to acquire the blacksmith class,” Broken declared firmly. “So, I will take on any challenge that comes my way.”
“But you could be a talented miner, and it would give you a lot of money,” Fokil pointed out. “Why are you still so determined to become a blacksmith?”
Broken considered the possibility of earning more money by becoming a miner. However, he wanted to craft his own armor and weapons, utilizing his Quality Enhancement skill to gain even greater benefits from his creations. But he was sure that he couldn’t reveal this reasons to Fokil.
“I can’t explain it clearly, but I really want to be a blacksmith and craft my own armor and weapons.”
“So, I guess not everyone does things for money,” Fokil muttered under his breath. “I am proud of you.”
Fokil solemnly extended a hand to clasp Broken’s shoulder and praised him, “Your resolve is commendable. It is only fitting that you should be rewarded for your efforts.”
Turning away towards a nearby chest, Fokil rummaged through it before presenting something to Broken. It was a blueprint of a weapon.
“Take this,” Fokil said, handing the blueprint to Broken. “This is the Moonvine Knuckles Blueprint. With your commitment and the Moonstones, I have no doubt that you will be able to bring this creation to life.”
The blueprint depicted a weapon design—a pair of knuckles with sharp claws extending from the back of the hand. The five claws were intricately designed to look like they grew out from the wrist to the back of the hand, colored silver with green leaf-like motifs.
Broken received the blueprint and stood in awe, silently admiring its beautiful design. Once again, he could not inspect the details of the weapon, clearly indicating that this blueprint had a high grade, just like what he had received from Gia.
Next, Fokil handed Broken a finely crafted leather-bound tome, its cover embossed with the emblem of the Smithy—an anvil wreathed in flames.
“This is my personal journal,” Fokil explained, his voice softening. “Within its pages are the techniques and secrets I have accumulated over decades of honing my craft. Study it well, for it will serve as your guide on the path to becoming a true blacksmith.”
[The quest to mine five Moonstones has been upgraded to an A-rating.]
[Congratulations on completing the quest!]
[As a reward, you have received 1 Moonvine Knuckles Blueprint.]
[Your affinity with Master Blacksmith Fokil has increased to 30%.]
[You have also received 40 stat points.]
Broken’s heart raced as he read the notifications. Damn, 40 stat points and a blueprint! This was an incredible reward for him. Moreover, the blueprint clearly depicted a weapon he would eventually craft using the Moonstones. This weapon would undoubtedly be very rare, and he hoped it would also be exceptionally powerful.
[You have achieved remarkable success! Your efforts in the quest “Become an Apprentice of Fokil the Blacksmith” have been rewarded with an upgrade to an A-rating, and you have received an acknowledgment from the Master Blacksmith Fokil himself.]
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest with flying colors.]
[You have earned the Unique-grade class of Royal Blacksmith through the journal of the Master Blacksmith Fokil.]
[Additionally, your affinity with Master Blacksmith Fokil has increased to 35%.]
[You have received 40 stat points.]
Broken’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Another 40 stat points, and also a Unique-grade Class!” he exclaimed.
The rewards were beyond his expectations, making all his hard work and determination worth it!